“I was with Motsieloa and Mokati when accused number 2 [Mahatta] and Thabang [a man Motsieloa previously introduced her to] entered the house.
“They asked us what we were doing and we [told them] we were just relaxing. Then he [Thabang] hit the light bulb with a knife and then started stabbing Mokati. I screamed. He was stabbed once,” said the woman, who is Motsieloa's aunt, before breaking down.
She said she ran to the bedroom to hide but could not stifle the commotion of the execution. The woman said she later went outside where she and Motsieloa stood for some time. They were later joined by their partners.
She said Motsieloa left the scene and at some point called the hitmen for assurance that the “job was completed”.
The court adjourned for five minutes and resumed with state prosecutor Adv David Molokomme asking the witness further questions, but she broke down again.
She tried to continue but once again broke down, leading to Judge Mokhine Mosopa adjourning the matter.
The woman, who is already serving a 10-year jail sentence after pleading guilty for her role in the murder of Mokati, on Tuesday told the court how Motsieloa lured Mokati from Lesotho in 2020 under the guise of helping him find a job in SA.
She said Motsieloa then organised a fraudulent SA ID for him. The woman also claimed Motsieloa had taken a life insurance policy on the deceased without his knowledge before he was killed.
She previously told the court that Motsieloa poisoned Mokati twice in the month he was killed but he survived.
The woman, who was sentenced in June last year, said when the poison did not work, her niece then hired hitmen to kill Mokati.
Earlier, Adv Zandile Mshololo, famous for her role in the Senzo Meyiwa trial and is representing Mahatta, attempted to bar the media from covering the proceedings and from taking pictures in court but failed.
The trial resumes on Thursday.
SowetanLIVE
State witness details how niece conspired to kill relative for insurance payout
Woman serving 10 years for role in the murder
Image: 123RF
A state witness in the R1.2m insurance murder case broke down three times in court on Wednesday as she gave details of how her relative, who was lured from Lesotho by another relative, was brutally killed.
The witness, who cannot be named for her own safety, told the North Gauteng High Court about the events leading to the death of Gift Mokati, who was murdered by hitmen allegedly organised by her niece Mathabo Motsieloa.
The state alleges that in March 2021, Motsieloa hired Hope Mahatta to kill Mokati. Motsieloa later cashed out R1.2m in life insurance.
During the investigation into Mokati's murder, she allegedly initiated a relationship with the investigating officer, Motsumi Tabane, whom she gave R30,000 to quash the case.
Motsieloa, Mahatta and Tabane are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder and fraud.
The trio is also accused of orchestrating the murder of senior officer Lt-Col Lekone Mohajane, whom they attempted to bribe to halt the investigation into the murder of Mokati.
Mohajane, who was the detective branch commander at Mooinooi police station in the North West, was killed during an alleged hijack in June 2023.
On Wednesday, the trio's accomplice, who has since turned state witness, told the court how Mokati was murdered.
Woman lured relative from Lesotho, 'killed him' for insurance payout
“I was with Motsieloa and Mokati when accused number 2 [Mahatta] and Thabang [a man Motsieloa previously introduced her to] entered the house.
“They asked us what we were doing and we [told them] we were just relaxing. Then he [Thabang] hit the light bulb with a knife and then started stabbing Mokati. I screamed. He was stabbed once,” said the woman, who is Motsieloa's aunt, before breaking down.
She said she ran to the bedroom to hide but could not stifle the commotion of the execution. The woman said she later went outside where she and Motsieloa stood for some time. They were later joined by their partners.
She said Motsieloa left the scene and at some point called the hitmen for assurance that the “job was completed”.
The court adjourned for five minutes and resumed with state prosecutor Adv David Molokomme asking the witness further questions, but she broke down again.
She tried to continue but once again broke down, leading to Judge Mokhine Mosopa adjourning the matter.
The woman, who is already serving a 10-year jail sentence after pleading guilty for her role in the murder of Mokati, on Tuesday told the court how Motsieloa lured Mokati from Lesotho in 2020 under the guise of helping him find a job in SA.
She said Motsieloa then organised a fraudulent SA ID for him. The woman also claimed Motsieloa had taken a life insurance policy on the deceased without his knowledge before he was killed.
She previously told the court that Motsieloa poisoned Mokati twice in the month he was killed but he survived.
The woman, who was sentenced in June last year, said when the poison did not work, her niece then hired hitmen to kill Mokati.
Earlier, Adv Zandile Mshololo, famous for her role in the Senzo Meyiwa trial and is representing Mahatta, attempted to bar the media from covering the proceedings and from taking pictures in court but failed.
The trial resumes on Thursday.
SowetanLIVE
Baby Kutlwano still missing after 92 days
Sentencing for couple convicted of murder postponed
Three murder suspects killed in shoot-out with police in KZN
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos